Chapter Three
When one door closes...
One more week until it was finally over.
Naruto threw the alarm clock across the room seconds after it began to squeal. He groaned as the first rays of daylight snuck past the thin blinds that covered the sole window into his apartment. The thought of having to spend another day with Iruka-Sensei made him want to scream. While not as bad as some other teachers at the academy, Iruka found a way to make even exciting topics such as medical ninjutsu or genjutsu boring. He hated how Iruka acted so nice to everyone despite having a two-second fuse to explode in rage. Half of him wondered if the man was going to commit some type of horrible crime against children. He debated staying in bed for another hour when mother nature called. Once relieved of the pressure building in his bladder, he decided to head to class and took a quick shower before going to the mirror to style his hair for the day.
Puberty treated had treated him kindly. Far from the shrimpy kit five years before, Naruto stood at a good six feet three inches with a frame of broad shoulders and powerful limbs. He allowed his orange hair to grow out towards his shoulders in a style similar to his father's while keeping a dark shadow of stubble on his face to sharpen a strong jawline. Tsunade, his personal doctor, believed that the presence of the Fox accelerated his physical growth for unknown reasons. If not for the four tails, fox ears, and crimson eyes of the Nine-Tails, he would have attracted more fangirls than his brother or Sasuke. Even with the villagers becoming ever more terrified of his appearance, many of the village's young women looked at him with a nervous blush.
"Looking good," Naruto grinned at himself in the mirror, admiring his sharp fangs. Hana told him his mother would be thrilled to know he had inherited her sharp teeth. Satisfied with his appearance, he went to his closet to dress for the day. Itachi demanded he get rid of the orange jumpsuit on his twelfth birthday and took him cloth shopping. Due to his rapid growth spurts, it became a tradition to buy him new outfits every birthday. He flicked through the outfits in the closet, looking for something open and comfortable, given that his father wanted to spar after class. Ultimately, he decided on an orange jacket left open and a pair of grey combat pants with plenty of pockets for kunai or scrolls.
The walk to the academy came and went without any trouble from the villagers. Most of them decided that it was far safer to ignore rather than antagonize him, thanks to his father taking a more active role in his life. A few brave souls tried to pick fights with him yearly but found that the defenseless kit had grown into a man always ready for a brawl. Opinions had slightly improved after he decided to stop pranking. Still, he had a long road before the villagers accepted him as their own. His classmates seemed oblivious to his existence outside a handful of friends and Menma.
With the dread of an impending lecture, Naruto entered the classroom and sat in the back next to Hinata Hyūga. Her lavender hair, milky eyes, and resting bitch-face combined would have turned him on like a lightbulb if she was twenty or so years older. However, their friendship stemmed from his not seeking a romantic relationship with her, which most of the class's males and females desired.
"So, Hinata." One of Naruto's tails curled around her shoulders. "Got any single aunts? I'll settle for a grandma."
Hinata did not react to the tail invading her personal space. Being a friend of Naruto meant accepting his lack of awareness regarding concepts such as personal space. She glanced over at him with a bored expression. "It is bad enough that your father comes around the compound at night. We do not need you sculling about as well."
"You wound me! I would be a wonderful uncle or grandfather to you." Naruto cackled as she slapped his tail away. "Fair enough. What about Kurenai? Is she available?"
"Is she not a little young for you?" Hinata smiled as she turned the tables on the blond. "Were you not the man who claimed his soulmate would be over thirty? Kurenai is only twenty-five, dear Naruto."
"Fair enough. I shall simply wait five years before chasing after her heart." Naruto closed his eyes, losing himself daydreaming of a beautiful woman feeding him strawberries. A quick palm strike from Hinata ruined the vision of paradise immediately. "What was that for…?"
Iruka stood at the front of the classroom with a deep frown. He marched between the rows of desks with a ruler in hand and stopped in front of Naruto's desk. "It is so good to see you in class today, Naruto. How was your day off?"
Naruto yawned slightly, wishing he could return to the woman with strawberries. She was just about to remove her bikini when Hinata rudely interrupted him. "Not too bad. Did some training and watched a musical. The Count of Monte Cristo is a fantastic musical with some amazing set designs. I might even read the book now." This earned a few chuckles from some of the more unruly students, with even noble Hinata smirking.
"I have a hard time believing you would finish the first page, let alone all eight-hundred pages," Iruka took a deep breath. "We are a week away from graduation, and you have the worst test scores in the history of the academy. By all rights, you should have been kicked out years ago. Don't you want to become a ninja?"
Already bored of the conversation, Naruto closed his eyes again to get lost in his daydream. "I can become a ninja without knowing what the First Hokage's favorite color is."
Iruka sighed and returned to the front of the class to try a different tactic, hoping to pressure the dead last into taking things seriously. "Since Naruto decided to skip class again, I am assigning everyone an essay about thefundamentals of medical ninjutsu. Three thousand words minimum, due by Friday. Consider this part of your final exam!" The entire classroom groaned and glared at Naruto, who was too busy thinking of a romantic scene on a beach involving himself and Shikamaru's mother. However, something about the bossy Nara woman made him smile. Her cooking skills were pretty decent too.
Thankfully, Naruto found that Iruka ignored him for the rest of the morning session of the class in favor of going into a motivational speech about loyalty to Konoha and the Land of Fire. Concepts such as patriotism rubbed him the wrong way. Why take pride in being born into a village that shunned him for something he had zero control over? Every nation tried to act like it was better than everyone else. Despite being a hellhole dug into the side of a mountain, Iwa still claimed to be the original Hidden Village despite the history books giving that title to Konoha. Patriotism was a lie fed to impressionable minds to keep those in power wealthy and in charge. One day, as Hokage, he would see this system brought low and replace it with something better for everyone.
"And that, my students, is why the Hidden Leaf is the greatest!" Iruka's high-pitched voice elicited zero responses from the students. He sighed heavily and took a seat behind his desk. "After lunch, we'll begin studying for the written exams. Make sure to take plenty of notes. See you all in an hour."
There was no way he would sit through four hours of Iruka rambling about shinobi regulations. Naruto followed Hinata out of the classroom with both hands stuck in his pocket. Seeing that the Hyūga heiress would join some of the other clan heirs for lunch, he decided it best to slide out of the academy without much notice while everyone seemed distracted. He made it out the front doors and across the courtyard when he heard Menma chasing after him with Sasuke close behind.
"Wait for us, boss!" Menma tackled him to the ground, squeezing the larger man in a tight hug. "So, where are we going to eat? Ramen? Dango? Burgers?"
"Can't…breath…"
Menma pushed a silky strand of blond hair from his face and grinned. His brother grew his hair long past his shoulders in a style like Kushina's. While feminine, women of the village couldn't get enough of it. "I'm thinking something spicy today. I'll even pay for you, boss!"
Sasuke Uchiha rolled his eyes and grabbed ahold of Menma's jacket. He yanked the blond back with a gentle tug. "Give him some air, princess."
"Thank you," Naruto took multiple lungsful of air in, never realizing how nice it was to breathe. He brushed his pants off and glared at Menma. "Are you tryin' to kill me, little bro? You've been training with Granny!"
Menma blushed and nodded. "You can tell? Lady Tsunade has already filled out the paperwork to take me on as a full-time apprentice like Shizune." He glanced at Sasuke's disapproving frown and smirked. "Worry not, prince. I'll still be assigned to your team for missions. I can't be a combat medic if I always stay in the village."
"Hn." Sasuke looked away to hide the hint of pink on his cheeks. "Whatever. Just make sure you can keep up with me."
"Please do," Naruto agreed with a deep frown and a heavy tone. "We all know Sasuke will require medical attention due to his lack of skill. He will need each booboo kissed. We cannot allow our precious Uchiha Prince to suffer."
Sasuke glared at the vulpine man with a slight smirk. "Oh? Think you can take me on, dope?" Onyx eyes glanced at Menma. "Forgive me, princess, but your brother needs an ass-kicking."
"Ass-licking? Keep that between you two!" Naruto turned away to begin the march to Ichiraku. "Come on, lovebirds. Boss is hungry!" The trio walked together through the streets, exchanging light-hearted insults and jabs. Naruto loved these two the most of everyone in the village except his father. Hana and Itachi, his sister and eventual brother-in-law, held a special place in his heart. Still, Menma and Sasuke were brothers that stood with him when everyone else was too busy.
They arrived at the ramen stand and ordered their bowls. Autumn's crispness had just arrived in Konoha, banishing the prolonged summer heatwave and making sitting outside pleasant. With their bowls packaged in to-go containers, Sasuke led them to the Senju Park and towards a large Oaktree that served as the trio's meetup spot.
"Mother is back in town," Menma took a piece of beef and twirled a few noodles around the meat.
Naruto recoiled at the thought of Kushina Uzumaki. He did not talk much to the woman after their conversation on his tenth birthday, following Hana's instructions to stay far away from her. Six months after the whole birthday incident, rumors began to swirl around the village that Kushina had filed for divorce. Minato, never one to display weakness in front of his people, formally announced to the council and explained that the couple had parted on mutual terms. Menma took the news the hardest and would have dropped out of the academy if not for the timely arrival of his hero, Tsunade Senju. The Sannin took an interest in his impressive chakra control, tutoring him personally on medical ninjutsu.
As for Kushina, she became an urban legend among the people of Konoha. The once-outgoing redhead disappeared from public life entirely after requesting a long-term mission outside the village. Her journeys, at least according to Itachi, took her far beyond the borders of the Elemental Nations to strange lands. Three times a year, she would arrive in Konoha to spend a few days with Menma before vanishing like a spirit. Naruto had not seen the woman in over four years and hoped to avoid running into her again. However, he knew that his continued presence doomed her marriage despite Minato's reassurance that it had nothing to do with that.
"Guess you won't be coming to dinner, then?" Naruto stuffed six pieces of pork into his mouth to hide the frown. "Sasuke will miss you pretty bad."
Menma flicked his hair back. "I shall make sure to make it up to him." Blue eyes captured onyx voids, and Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at the shades of red occupying Sasuke's face. "Sadly, mother has much to discuss with me about my inheritance."
"Sounds like a drag." Sasuke finished his bowl first and leaned against Menma's chest. "I'll look after Naruto and make sure he doesn't get into trouble."
"As if I need you," Naruto quickly devoured the rest of his ramen. "Hopefully, she gets the hell out before we graduate."
"Hell must have frozen over. Naruto does not want to meet a single mother for once." Sasuke's amusement died when Menma bonked him on the back of the head. "What? Just joking."
Naruto shrugged and yanked a package of beef jerky from his pocket. "Whatever. Kushina's probably a hag by now and not in a sexy way."
"I wouldn't say that," Sasuke shrugged, ignoring the glare from his boyfriend in favor of stirring up trouble with Naruto. "She is curvy in all the right ways and carries a few extra pounds despite traveling so much." Seeing Naruto stiffen at the thought, the Uchiha continued. "Imagine the woman who hated you for so long suddenly lusting after you. How romantic."
Menma groaned and shook his head at the thought of Naruto sleeping with his mother. "This is my mother you're talking about! I doubt even Naruto would be that stupid to approach her in such a manner. Not to mention, imagine father's reaction."
"Would be a prank for the history books," Naruto mused with a mischievous smile. "Naruto Inuzuka seduces Kushina Uzumaki, ex-wife of the Fourth Hokage."
"Indeed," Sasuke agreed. "It would be a tale about star-crossed lovers, enemies turned into passionate partners against a world that hates them." The Uchiha grinned as Naruto's eyes lightened up at the thought. One more push…
"I believe that Mikoto would be a better target for such a thing," Menma declared with a triumphant smirk. "She is trapped in a loveless marriage, unable to escape from an uncaring husband. Naruto can sweep her off her feet and into a world of passion."
Naruto was about to commit how he could take both when a pair of ANBU appeared in the tree above them. The male of the pair wore a weasel mask, while the female wore a dog mask.
"Lord Hokage requires your presence in his office, Naruto," Weasel said in an emotionless voice devoid of all humanity.
"Give me another ten minutes. I'm enjoying lunch," the redhead tried to wave the ANBU away. The lack of emotion in the voice gave away the identity of Itachi Uchiha. But, of course, the dog mask belonged to his sister. He never understood how the ANBU commander allowed her to pick such an obvious choice.
Dog shook her head. "Your father wishes to speak to you immediately. Please, come with us." Hana's natural warmth shined through years of training. He wanted nothing more than to pull her off the tree and into a hug.
"Whatever. I was planning on skipping this afternoon anyways," Naruto hopped to his feet and ignored the killing intent oozing from Dog. "My sister probably would be too busy sucking Itachi's face off to notice."
Sasuke rolled his eyes, leaning into Menma's embrace. "You're going to get your ass kicked one of these days."
Naruto shrugged and gestured for the ANBU to lead the way. "Talk to you guys later. Tell Mikoto that her champion shall come for her." Weasel and Sasuke groaned at the shared mental image of their mother being carried away by Naruto toward a beautiful sunset. Dog reached down from the tree and smacked the blond on the back of the head.
Neither Dog nor Weasel answered his questions on the way to the Hokage Tower. His father rarely summoned his children during school hours unless something critical happened, believing that their time in the academy was vital for their success as shinobi. The past year saw an increase in his workload as the village prepared to host the Chūnin exams once spring arrived. Usually calm and collected, Naruto noticed his father becoming more stressed as of late and spending more time in the office. He tried to help calm the man down, but nothing seemed to work. Luckily, his father's lover kept a close on the Hokage's health. The last thing the village needed was the legendary Yellow Flash to drop dead from a heart attack.
Minato awaited him in the main office, sitting on his desk with a cup of tea. Five years did little to ruin his father's naturally boyish looks, with his hair and sapphire eyes still vibrant. The man's lips, downcast and tight, turned upwards at his arrival. No matter what happened, Naruto knew his father would always love him. The other two guests in the room confused him greatly. Jiraiya, Toad-Sage and Super Pervert, leaned against the wall with a small notepad in hand. Tsunade Senju looked out the window over the village of her ancestors while trying to ignore the giggling of her teammate.
"Afternoon, papa." Naruto strode into the office as if he owned the place. Dog and Weasel followed behind him, closing the door and sealing it to prevent entry. The ANBU took their position behind the desk with their heads lowered. "What's going on?"
"Please take a seat, Naruto." Minato sipped his tea and picked up one of the many reports scattered across his desk. "How was the musical yesterday?"
Naruto flinched at the casual tone of his father. Whenever preparing to scold one of his children, Minato always began the conversation in a relaxed manner to break the ice. The fact that Hana and Itachi remained in the room meant something terrible was about to happen. Tsunade and Jiraiya's presence remained a mystery.
"Musical? I did not go to any musical yesterday. Nope. Stayed in class all day. Ask Menma!"
Minato threw an icy stare at him. The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees as the Hokage hidden in the man revealed itself. "Do not lie to me."
"Sorry, pops." Naruto rubbed the back of his neck as the tension dissipated from the room. "It was good, ya know? Count of Monte Cristo is one hell of a story. All the good themes are there."
Tsunade remained focused on the village spread out before her. "I saw it last night. One of their better performances as of late. While different than the book, it captures the essence perfectly." She exchanged a quick glance with the Toad Sage, communicating something in a secret, silent language only they knew. Jiraiya wrote something down on his notepad.
"I'm planning on picking up the book tonight," Naruto chuckled nervously. He awaited the drop of the hammer to shatter the banal conversation.
Minato finished his cup of tea after reading the report on his lap. "It is a classic you'll enjoy. As you know, your academy class is graduating next week. Have you done any studying for the exam?" Naruto shook his head, unable to find the words to speak. "I see. Frankly, this does not surprise me." Minato chuckled as his son winced at the comment. "It fascinates me that you can burn through literature but cannot stomach a few pages from your textbook." He watched as Naruto squirmed under the evaluation. "I am the opposite. Stories, romances, and adventures do nothing for me. Give me a book on chakra theory over a paperback any day of the week. Most serious ninjas are like that."
Naruto twitched at the sentiment. Serious ninja. While not the most diligent student in the academy, he trained hard when with his father or sister. They all knew this, yet his father said he was not trying to be a severe ninja. Anger swelled within him. He forced it back down but felt the lingering temptation.
"Stories give us meaning to our lives," Naruto coolly replied. He tried to find a reason for this conversation.
Minato smirked and unrolled another report from his desk. "Is serving your village and nation, not enough meaning? As a shinobi of the Leaf, Konoha should always be your top priority."
Iruka's early speech came to mind. Naruto took a deep breath as a fresh wave of anger tried to boil. "My loyalty is to you, papa. Always."
"Me?" Minato exchanged a glance with Dog and Weasel. "Me as in your father or me as in the Hokage?"
"You as in you." Confusion gave way to irritation. He wanted this stupid meeting to be over with. "My family is the single most important thing in my life. Hana, Itachi, Menma, and Sasuke. My loyalty is to them as much as it is to you. What do you want me to say?"
Minato tossed the report aside and climbed off the desk. "The truth. A shinobi should always seek the truth. Sensei, what do you think of my son's future as a ninja?"
The Toad-Sage jotted down a few more notes and looked up with a severe expression. However, he refused to back down from the crimson gaze of his godson. "Naruto Inuzuka is a capable fighter. Your training has made him proficient in most areas, even though his preferred combat method differs greatly from yours. I believe he could give the most elite Chūnin a run for their money thanks to his tenant's enhancement combined with his clan's traits." Naruto smiled at the assessment but froze as the sage continued. "My biggest concern is his personality. Frankly, despite his bad-boy routine, Naruto is not a natural-born killer and will avoid taking a life unless necessary. An honorable trait to have, but one that is at odds with our line at work."
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Naruto jumped out of the chair, tails swaying dangerously. "I am capable of anything! So are you saying that I shouldn't be a ninja?"
"Honestly, I have my doubts. It's a shame you weren't born into a scholarly family or a samurai clan." Jiraiya sighed heavily. "Trust me, kid. Everything I said should be taken as a compliment."
Minato raised his hand to silence the room. "An interesting observation and one that I agree with. Compared to Menma or his classmates, he lacks a killing edge but is too strong-willed to be forced to adopt one." Blue eyes glanced at Tsunade. "Tell me about his physical state. Hold nothing back, please."
"What the hell is this even about? Why drag me in here just to complain? So, what if I skipped one stupid day at the academy? I would do it again in a heartbeat!" Naruto's rant ended with another stare from his father.
"Take a seat and remain silent." Minato gestured to Tsunade. "Please, begin."
Tsunade did not bother hiding her massive frown. She looked unhappy at the current situation, and Naruto detected sympathy in her eyes. "In my years as a doctor, Naruto has left me speechless. Putting aside the physical manifestation of his tenant, the boy…the man is simply Herculean. Every muscle in his body is perfect. Strength, stamina, and speed are unmatched without chakra enhancement. Bloodwork done by Shizune has shown a genetic makeup that is inhuman. From a scientific viewpoint, it would be incorrect to call your son 'human'."
Naruto stared at Tsunade with wide eyes threatening to unleash a storm of tears. He could stand the villagers referring to him as a demon or anything but human. Hearing it in such a logical manner shook him to the core. He tried to be angry but could only feel hollow. At the end of the day, the villagers were right about him.
Minato waited for his assistance to bring him a fresh cup of tea before responding. He examined his son with heavy eyes, noticing the boy's dejected expression. "Chin up, Naruto. None of what they have said makes you any less." He took a seat behind the desk. "It seems we are at a difficult crossroads."
"What do you mean?" Naruto looked to his father, hoping to find the answer to this madness.
"We have a young man that has the body of a warrior, the laziness and personality of a poetic Nara, and a mindset that is unfit for most assignments that are expected of a shinobi." Minato rubbed his face as his subsequent decision would affect the entire village.
"Naruto, you will not graduate from the academy with your class."
Another one bites the dust! The first two chapters were needed to introduce us to this world, but now the plot moves forward. I loved writing the scene between Sasuke, Menma, and Naruto. Something about their dynamic makes me laugh. From the poll, it appears that Kushina is pretty damn popular. Tsunade is coming in fast behind her, so I might add her to the mix as well. To address a PM I received about power levels...all of the rookies are about on par with their beginning Shippuden counterparts.
Please leave a review (good, bad, or neutral) to help this poor writer get better!
